Photo: Bruce Emmerling · CC BY-SA 4.0July in Richmond runs hotter than in 73% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 28°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 69% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.1° above 1901–2000. Garden planting can start around April 3; autumn frost returns near November 4.
A year in Richmond at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Richmond’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Richmond’s place in Virginia beside it.
What a year in Richmond feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 215 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 3 and the first by November 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Richmond International Airport, 9 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Richmond’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 7°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Richmond International Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; September is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 119 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Richmond
71% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Richmond International Airport.
Living with Richmond’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
215 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 3 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 103 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Richmond from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Richmond and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Richmond in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Richmond’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, VA | 28° | 89° | 46" | 8.8" |
| Harrison, AR | 26° | 89° | 47" | 9.5" |
| Summerfield, NC | 29° | 89° | 45" | 7.1" |
| Neosho, MO | 25° | 90° | 47" | 8.1" |
| Metropolis, IL | 27° | 89° | 50" | 8.9" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Richmond averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 73% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods. In a city of 237,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Richmond compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Richmond’s place among Virginia’s.
Richmond weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Richmond’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Richmond International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 28° | 3.4" | 3.7" | 10 | 3 | 32° – 44° |
| February | 52° | 30° | 2.8" | 2.2" | 9 | 2 | 31° – 48° |
| March | 60° | 36° | 4.0" | 1.1" | 11 | 1 | 42° – 57° |
| April | 71° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| May | 78° | 55° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| June | 85° | 64° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| July | 89° | 68° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| August | 87° | 66° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| September | 81° | 60° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| October | 71° | 48° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| November | 60° | 37° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| December | 51° | 31° | 3.7" | 1.8" | 10 | 1 | 32° – 51° |
| Year | 69° | 47° | 46.4" | 8.8" | 119 | 7 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 51°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Richmond’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Richmond’s center.
- Snow: Richmond International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Richmond International Airport, 9 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Richmond’s climate
What is the weather like in Richmond?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Richmond in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 74 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Richmond get?
About 8.8 inches in a normal winter at Richmond International Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 7 days a year.
How hot does it get in Richmond?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 68°. About 45 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Richmond International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Richmond?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 3 and the first fall frost by November 4, about 215 frost-free days, at Richmond International Airport.
What growing zone is Richmond in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Richmond?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Richmond getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Richmond.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.